A Million and One Sunsets
by Glittery-excuse-for-a Fae
Summary: Hook and Ariel are up against a mysterious entity that seems to want Ariel's body as its own. Hook is willing to fight tooth and hook to make sure that does not happen, even as far as asking an enemy for a deal.
1. Chapter 1

**AUTHORS NOTE: this is not sea or war, but a little one shot**

**all au's are mine, bearing in mind I can't see series three of OUAT cause I'm in uk and the internet hates me as does life, **

**This is just a sorta one shot between Ariel and Hook... it came about thanks to a convo with my cousin about story lines... and it wouldn't leave me alone, nor would it stop the feels so I think I was crying when I discussed it with my cousin...**

**Be prepared.**

"... You cannot love nor have you ever cared for her, you have seen her as naught but a hinderance or a novelty not something to cherish."

Ariel frowned hearing her voice utter these words but knowing she was not the one thinking them .

"You are wrong" Hook ground out "I have never felt like that about her, I care too much"

"You do not or when Pan told you of us you would have sought to protect her... funny because I can hear her in here..." She tapped her temple "And she's telling me that you did try... I don't think you did, Oh dear she's still so convinced that you will save her... tell her you won't, tell her the only way you could possibly save her is by killing her, go on I'll allow you that, I'll allow you to see he hurt on her face at your betrayal."

Hook huffed out a breath "I will save her you know nothing"

"I KNOW EVERYTHING!" she spat back shocking both ariel and hook alike.

"You are Killian Jones... Enamoured with Milah, another mans wife... when you lost her you relied on your prize, darling sweet Ariel... did she keep the nightmares of what you had done away? because she won't show me. You ceased being that man and became... Hook is it? Oh... But she still sees you as the first man, Killian Jones... the boyish smiles... Waltzing around the deck under the stars... you began to win her to sate your need for another. Everything you have done for her has been a lie."

Ariel in her own head, for thats where she had been put by this strange entity, began to struggle '_**He's not a liar you horrible horrible thing he's the best of men... better than you'd ever find in a million and one sunsets!**_'

Ariel chuckled a million and one sunsets what's that about then dear?" she asked looking at the pirate.

_'Pirates don't generally swear to protect me you know Killian. They usually want to get as far away as they can' Ariel said smiling as she traversed the latest market._

_"I swear I will always be here to protect you then' he replied grinning._

_She giggled 'You really don't need to, I have fifty guards at my disposal at home.'_

_'You're not at home you're with me, and I swear on my life that I will do everything I can to protect you, for... a million and one sunsets' he said grinning happily._

_'A Million and one wow thats a rather grand number are you sure? you could get bored.'_

_'A million an one is what you have, and I will never be bored.'_

_Her heart swelled and she took his proffered arm a serene smile gracing her lips as she accepted his offer._

A tear tracked down Ariel's cheek and Hook dared to hope. "Ariel?"

"Wrong!" the entity crowed "Tell me why did you promise that... you're always promising things to people and then not being able to follow through... I am enjoying it though, watching her hope keep swelling and then being able to crush it. It's like a fine wine."

"Just give her back to me please, I was going to take her home, back to her family, I would have fufiled my promise that way... Just leave her."

"I can't Hook... I need this body, I miss being corporeal, and you were only going to have destroyed her."

"Thats not true!" hook protested

"You are a pirate, the only thing you know is how to steal, how to drink and how to lie you sooner or later would have tainted her, in a way I'm doing her a favour... taking her from this world where the only direction she would have gone was ruin, and all for the sake of love."

**'you are really starting to get on my nerves let me damn well talk to him... stop assuming!'**

"You seem to know me so well... yet I know nothing of you, thats bad form"

"It doesn't matter who I am, tell me would you prefer it if I stay with you so you can gaze on the face of the woman who you betrayed or would that be too upsetting?"

"Like you care what I think"

Ariel aimed a mental punch at the entity and dragged it back into the recesses of her mind.

"Killian... I'm so sorry, it seemed so sad and I just thought if I sung to it that it might be happy again... it just grabbed me... I tried but then it had me."

He moved towards her but she held up her hands... "I'm so tired right now, like when you taught me words in books... my head got tired, I want to stay Killian. I really want to stay"

"Then stay... you can do it... I have faith in you Stay... we can go anywhere you want... anywhere."

"Do you swear it?"

"For a million and one sunsets Ariel... anywhere you want..."

She noticed belatedly that he was crying "No.. Please don't do that... I never quite know what to do when people do that"

He chuckled a little at that. "I can make a deal... get this thing whatever it is gone... I can go.. bring him back, I won't be a moment... Just hold on. Please Ariel Hold on."

She nodded "For a million and one sunsets."

**Well what I thought was a one shot has morphed, possibly a three parter at most.. I hope you enjoyed. and excuse me while I get a tissue and begin work on part two.**

**all offers of tissues and hugs are welcome.**


	2. Part the two

**Part the two!**

_Blackness surrounded her as she slumbered, voices visions all meant nothing to her, she was floating, suspended in nothing._

He walked briskly to where he knew he would find the man who had killed Milah.

"I cant help you dearie."

"You will!"

"I can't Im sorry." the Croc sat in a clearing on an upturned log, sipping tea from a china cup.

"Can't or won't?"

The dark one smiled "Well..."

"Please, I promised her, I'll do whatever you want."

Rumplestiltskin smiled "Will you.. how the tide turns, I remember saying the same to you once and you turned me away."

"I was foolish and too full of my own importance" he said impatiently. "She's dying Croc.. the only person in this land that still thinks I can be a good person, and while we exchange pleasantries she is slipping away from us.

"I cannot aid you, and trust me if I could it would not be for you but for her, she's a sweet lass, kind and far too good for the likes of you."

"Why?" he asked "I've said anything you ask of me and yet still you deny me!"

"What you are dealing with is a mer spirit, to remove it from Ariel you would have to steam her... killing her effectively, as of yet there is no remedy for this, the stronger spirit pushes the weaker one away, and the weaker one turns to sea foam, you see dearie I cannot help. Now you know what it is like to have something taken from you when all you can do is stand and watch."

"But Ariel has to be the stronger spirit... you've met her she's..."

"Spare me your gushing pirate... she is not stronger than a spirit... they have had years sometimes hundreds of those years waiting for a mer who was unguarded, they can just float and lie in wait. Your Mer woman is as good as dead now... go, go and relish your moments that you've lived.

"Her heart... take her heart and keep it I'll search for a way to bring her back to me... that thing that spirit will not win.

Rumplestiltskin laughed "Are you sure thats what you wish?"

He nodded. "What would you have in return?"

"I shall tell you when you have a way to return her to you. In the mean time I will take her heart and whatever is left of her soul and bind them with magic. They will be safe and at least that way there will be something left of her. But be warned if you do find a way to reunite with her the price that I will ask will be high."

Hook nodded "I will pay whatever you will ask of me."

"Good, now show me where she is."

Hook lead him back to the dock where the strange events had happened just a few hours ago.

_"Killian, I'll go and get supplies, is grannies the best place?" Ariel had asked jumping off the deck and onto the dock before the Jolly Rodger had even docked properly._

_Hook nodded "You just want to shop." He said chuckling._

_"Well you've given me a wage, and from what I assume a wage is for spending, so I shall spend" she said simply_

_"No mater what species women are always the same. Go on then, but be back here within an hour."_

_She nodded "Don't miss me too much Captain!"_

_He chuckled "I may actually find that I like my own company and the silence!" he joked._

_She smiled and waved jauntily as she strode off._

_"Smee how are the sails holding up?"_

_"We've got some rips but if we're in port for long enough we should have time to repair them."_

_"See to it then. He said hopping onto the dock._

_"You're following her?" Smee asked._

_"She is quite the catch, I mean only to protect her"_

_Smee nodded knowingly and spoke loud enough for the crew to hear "protecting our investment very wise captain! I will act in your stead while you are away" He knew the crew were getting suspicious of the captain and the mer's relationship, he would not have it said that his captain was getting soft where this mer was concerned._

_The afternoon had worn on and before he knew it he saw his captain storm onto the ship and head straight for his cabin, no Ariel in sight. Had he sold her?_

_"KILLIAN JONES SHOW YOURSELF DO NOT WALK AWAY FROM ME!" It was Ariel... but she looked different somehow._

"Killian... What took you so long?" her voice sounded tired to His ears like she had given up.

He sent her one of his more dashing smiles hoping that it would convince her that all would be well. He should have known she was too smart to believe it.

"He won't help?" she sighed "It doesn't matter really..."

"Now I never said wouldn't dearie." Gold said coming into view

"You got him, his help always comes at a price Killian."

"And right now he's our best hope... your best hope Ariel What would you have me do, I'm not going to watch you vanish, I can't do that love"

"There has to be another way..." she shook her head "Just do it then Croc. Do whatever you can."

"I won't stop searching Ariel, I will find a way for you to return"

"For a million and one sunsets search that long ok, becasue if on the million and second day you haven't found a way then you've lived too long without happiness... swear it?" she asked her voice breaking.

He shook his head "I will search all the sunsets I am afforded to bring you back."

She smiled "I don't doubt it."

"Take her hand dearie, this will hurt her"

Killian did as Rumplestiltskin suggested grasping both her hands in his singular one.

"All the sunsets Ariel, We'll see them all... Becasue no sunset is ever the same.

She smiled at him uttering a wordless cry as her heart was taken from her, as Rumplestiltskin pulled, a whisp of silvery blue intertwined itself with the heart.

"She's safe for now"

"How long do I have?"

"Two hundred and sixty four sunsets" he mocked, "...then that whisp... her essence it will be gone and you'll have lost again." he conjoured a glass casket "Would you like..." He smiled as Hook grabbed the casket.

"Put her in, I'll keep a hold of her if you don't mind"

As you wish dearie I get the feeling you don't really trust me"

Hook chuckled darkly "If I find a way and you choose not to help me I will find your dagger Kill you and do it myself. If you help then we're even, No more feud... we won't exactly be friends but i'll not try and Kill you at every given chance either."

"Seems fair enough, Best of luck Pirate."

Hook nodded and was abord his shi and setting sale before Rumplestiltskin had even got back to his shop with Ariel's body, The glass casket with the shimmerig heart tucked into the wheel.

"two hundred and sixty four sunsets love, we'll see them all together one way or another." he muttered to the heart.

**Yes so yet another cliff hanger but here's the thing If you wanna hear what happens next if Killian finds a way to save Ariel or if he's just that unlucky and looses again then TELL ME! use an anon review or whatever you want becasue I'm totally willing but only if you are.**


	3. Part the Three

Killian woke, and turned to his desk where Ariel's heart was gently glowing.

"Ready for another day love?" He asked looking over at the clear casket.

He dressed and came to sit at the desk surveying the charts in front of him, every so often glancing at the casket and offering it a small smile.

There was a knock at the door. "Your coffee Captain"

"Thank you Smee, are we on course?"

"We would be if you told us where we're heading to."

"We're half way through the given days to find a cure for Ari... We're going to Neverland."

"Captain you don't know that will work... it could kill her quicker."

Killian sent him a murderous look an the first mate took a few steps back.

"I'm sorry sir, but it could, I'm just thinking out loud, and i'm sure that I don't know what I'm saying." he made a hasty exit.

Killian sighed "Maybe he's right Ari..." He ran a hand through his still tousled hair "Christ I don't know what I'm doing any more, chasing whispers... you'd know wouldn't you" He shook his head "Any time you'd want to pipe up with something helpful do let me know wont you..."

he heard the shout of 'Land ahoy' and smiled.

"Two seconds love, I've got to go and make nice with some very savage savages. I'll be back come sunset." He ran his hand across the lid of the casket before shrugging on his waistcoat and larger overcoat and leaving the cabin, making sure to lock it for good measure.

_and there he goes leaving again. _Ariel sighed... as much as a disembodied heart could sigh.

She had watched every night mare for the past one hundred and thirty two nights, seen one hundred and thirty two sunsets and still she was this, a heart and a wisp in a casket, she had seen the crew in their daily chores for sixty three days and was pretty sure she knew more about a ship than any mer did, after the sixty third day when someone had accused the captain of being weak he had begun to keep her in his cabin more. She had heard the scream and splash for many nights afterward, although how she could hear them was beyond her.

She saw the moment that Killian Jones started to lose hope in finding a way back for her. it was around the one hundred and twentieth day, when a local witch at whichever port they had been docked in had tried to take her heart promising the spell she would perform would bring her back. it hadn't and she had felt Hook place her roughly back into her casket and slam the lid down, turning and running the witch through on his way out of her hovel.

He had remained Hook for the rest of the day, yelling savagely at his crew, shooting death glares at any who dared comment on how his errand had gone.

the moment he retreated to his cabin he became himself again, shedding tears for his stupidity that Ariel could do nothing to brush away, stupid lack of a body.

What confused her was that bar that momentary chink when she saw his hopelessness, she never saw him falter again.

The days passed the same now it was always 'morning love ready for the day' or variations of the same, a small smile a pat on the casket and off he would go.

She missed him, and she figured that part of the reason she missed him was because she couldn't talk back.

So she began retreating into her memories.

Times when she could walk and swim and talk and care and laugh and help.

Smee watched his captain land on the shore of Neverland, of course the prospect of granting the mermaid more time was a good plan but Neverland was not a place for a woman such as her even if she was just a heart and a wisp of essence.

It did dark things to the unwary, it changed them made them something else entirely, and he didn't think the captain wanted to remember that.

Neverland was a place where you may arrive carefree innocent, and leave physically unchanged, mentally though you were years older. that was Neverland's curse.

He found the camp after a few hours walking.. Hiking would be a better word.

a young woman in her early twenties with raven hair was leaving a tent when she saw him.

"What do you want with us Hook?" she spat his name with distain. "The last time you were here you're constant warring nearly destroyed us!"

"I came to help someone I care for" She laughed in his face, something not many would choose to do. "You... care for someone? that is an impossibility"

He sneered at her, "I'm here to give her more time."

"Her...well of course it would be its Milah all over again, another mans wife as well is she?"

He took a few steps backward, seemingly hurt by her words "It is not Milah all over again" he ground out "and no she is not another man's wife. She is a Mer, Bloody courageous too, and thanks to a water sprite she will die if I don't find a way to get her back to her body."

"And tell me Pirate, why should we allow her here?"

"I need more time to think of a way to save her, Please Tiger Lilly whatever wrongs I have done to you and yours in the past don't let her slip away from me."

she sighed "Let me speak to the elders and I will return with their verdict, until then stay on the shoreline or risk death yourself."

He nodded once and sent her a shadow of the smile that once upon a time would have sent women into weak knee'd girlish things.

she shook her head "You never change do you Hook."

He shrugged "Maybe one day for the right person I might, but till then, no I never shall change lass." He winked at her and began to tread the path that would lead him back to the shoreline, a plan formulating in his head.

If he could make advances on Tiger Lilly then she would be so enraptured with him that she would do anything he asked of her, Including helping him find a cure for Ariel's current predicament. He was a pirate and he would go to any lengths to save her.

On the Jolly Rodger Ariel was pulled out of her daydreams by a loud cracking, she came back to the present to find a small crack running along the bottom of the casket that held her. she figured she would have frowned if she had eyebrows, but alas she did not.

So not paying it much heed, she delved back into a memory of a star-filled night, and dancing around the deck of the Jolly Rodger with a handsome Pirate who she was convinced was able to be a good man, for the right woman.

**A/N: Not the way I thought this chapter would go, sorry... In all real terms I didn't have this chapter at all till the weekend and after the favourites and follows I went ahead and began writing.**

**Feel free to pelt me with over ripe fruit if you so desire, **

**but please push that Little review button... it calls to you!**

**Fae x**


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